The national debt ceiling deal does not rescue President Barack Obama’s crashing job approval rating in Florida as he gets a negative 44 – 51 percent score among voters surveyed August 1 – 2, after the deal was announced, compared to a negative 44 – 50 percent score among voters surveyed July 27 – 31, before the deal, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

This compares to a positive 51 – 43 percent approval rating for President Obama in a May 26 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll.

Florida voters surveyed after the deal say 50 – 42 percent that Obama does not deserve to be reelected, compared to a 47 – 46 percent split before the deal and 50 – 44 percent support for his reelection May 26.

“President Barack Obama’s numbers in the key swing state of Florida have gone south in the last two months. The debt ceiling deal is not making any difference in that decline and any bounce he got from the bin Laden operation is long since gone,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “The president’s drop off is huge among independent voters who now disapprove almost 2-1.”

The post-debt deal poll shows little change in Obama’s May approval among Republicans and Democrats. But among independent voters he plummets from a 47 – 45 percent split in May to a 61 – 33 percent disapproval today.

“Gov. Rick Perry’s stock is rising even before he announces whether he’ll run,” said Brown. “U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, who had been surging in other states, is stalled.”

Florida voters approve 50 – 37 percent of the debt ceiling deal, but only 2 percent say they are enthusiastic about it; 41 percent are satisfied but not

enthusiastic; 36 percent are dissatisfied but not angry, while 18 percent, including 23 percent of independent voters, say they are angry.

Obama acted in their best interests in the debt ceiling deal, 36 percent of voters say, compared to 32 percent who say that about House Speaker John Boehner and 12 percent who say Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid acted in their best interest.

In the pre-agreement poll, voters said 46 – 33 percent they thought Obama rather than the Republicans had acted more responsibly in the negotiations.

The race for the GOP senate nomination remains wide open with 53 percent of Republicans undecided. Michael McCalister, a retired military official and businessman, gets 15 percent followed by former Sen. George LeMieux at 12 percent, businessman Craig Miller at 8 percent and former House GOP leader Adam Hasner at 6 percent.

From July 27 – 31, Quinnipiac University surveyed 674 registered voters with a

with a margin of error of +/- 3.6 percent. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.

The total survey of 1,417 registered voters surveyed from July 27 – August 2 includes 510 Republicans with a margin of error of +/- 4.3 percent.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia and the nation as a public service and for research.